Page 98 of Terms + Conditions
“Well, I didn’t, but now I’m starting to wonder.”
“Yes, she knows where I am.” Brie rolls her eyes with so much exaggeration I’m surprised they don’t fall out of her head onto the black and white tiled floor.
“Why didn’t she call me first? Or send a message. Anything to let me know this was happening.”
Brie shrugs, taking another bite. “Guess she wanted to surprise you.”
Juliet was pretty spontaneous and free-spirited, but I would think she might call about something like this. Warn me that she’s been hiding a daughter for the last fifteen years, andOh, by the way, I’m sending her up to New York to meet you.
“You guys don’t trust me,” Brie says. It’s less of a question and more of a statement.
Can you blame us?
“It’s not that we don’t trust you,” I say, trying to think of the right way to phrase it. “We just don’t know you.”
“You don’t know that I’m telling the truth.”
“That too.” I can’t lie to her. Scratch that, I won’t lie to her. “I’m not trying to say you’re a liar or that your mom is, but—”
“I get it,Mr. Davis.I mean, I did kind of spring this on you.”
“You don’t have to call me that.”
“What would you prefer?” Brie raises a curious eyebrow, and I find myself tongue-tied. I don’t have an answer, but Mr. Davis seems way too formal.
“Let’s just stick with Josh for now.”
“Sure,Josh.” She offers a tight smile before taking another sip of coffee.
“Now that we have you alone,” Michaela says, falling on the couch next to Finn.
When I try to get up and make my escape, she pushes me back into the chair. I have no one to save me from this impending interrogation. It’s just the three of us here. Dad has been gone all day with Uncle Jim—they’re seeing a concert or something—and Mom took Brie shopping as soon as we got back from breakfast. Brie showed up with a duffle bag filled with only a few days worth of clothes and a backpack filled to the brim with books. She assured me she didn’t need any more clothes (that’s what a washing machine was for). But until I can get ahold of Juliet, I need to make sure she has whatever she needs. And I’m more than happy to let Mom take the lead on shopping. I wouldn’t have the slightest idea where to start. I was surprised when Elizabeth decided to tag along, but she’d probably have a better idea of what a teenager would like over Mom. Glancing at the clock, I still have two hours before I need to leave, but I could find something to do to pass the time. This is New York; there’s always something to do. Before I can put my plan into action Michaela starts with, “How are you feeling?”
“About?” I ask.
“Don’t be coy, Josh.”
“I’m not discussing this with you, MJ.” I roll my eyes, and suddenly, a glass of the amber liquid on the bar shelf in the corner looks pretty good.
No. Alcohol isn’t going to help this situation. It’s only going to make me more annoyed with my sister.
“Josh—”
“You were in on this?” I ask Finn, and he shrugs.
“Listen, man, you’ve been through the ringer the past few months. We just want to make sure you’re okay.” Finn adjusts his position, stretching his arm behind Michaela on the back of the couch, his fingers ghosting across the exposed skin just beneath the sleeve of her shirt.
The sun reflects off the diamond on her finger when Michaela takes a sip of her hot chocolate. “Yeah, c’mon, spill. You gotta know something about her or her mom.”
“I don’t know anything.”
Why is that so hard to believe?
My sister mumbles something that sounds like “liar” behind her mug.
“I am fine, okay? Everything is fine. We’re going to get it all straightened out, I mean, we don’t even know if—”
“Oh, trust me.” Finn stops me. “There isnodenying it. She has your eyes.”
